U. S. DEPARTMENT Oi- AGRICULTURE. 
BUREAU OF FORESTRY - BULLETIN No. 38. 

GIFFORD PINCHOT, Torester. 



HE EEDW.OOD 



1. A STUDY OF THE RJCDWOOD. 

By Errii.i.KM T. Fisiiei:, Fi,'!d AssislunL Bnn nii F',rcMry. 

JI. THK BRoWX ROT !)[SEA;sK ( 'F THE KEDAV()r)D. 

By >\N vox ,S('rT;:i-..\ Bnri'ia of /'!iint Iii'ludri/. 

Ill, jr'-.ErT i:x: - of ■:!:;. ffdwuod. 

By.*.. 1>. LIoPK.[-\s, l>lrlsi(jii (,f Eiiin... 




WASHINGTON; 

GOVERNMENT PRINTIN' ; v > : FICE. 



Book '<f,3 



3 y- c 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Frontispiece. 




Virgin Redwood Along South Fork of Eel River. 



U. S.'^bEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
BUREAU OF FORESTRY— BULLETIN No. 38. 

GIFFORD PINCHOT, Forester. 




THE EEDWOOD 



1. A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 

By Richard T. Fisher, Field Assistant, Bureau of Forestry. 

II. THE BROWN ROT DISEASE OF THE REDWOOD. 

By Hermann von Schrenk, Bureau of Plant Iiidustrii. 

111. INSECT ENE.AIIES OF THE REDW^OOD. 

By A. D. Hopkins, Division of Entomology. 




WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1903. 




Sionograph 




LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 
Bureau of Forestry, 
Washington, D. C, JVovemier 18, 1902. 

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript on "The 
Redwood," by Richard T. Fisher, Field Assistant, Bureau of Forestry, 
too-ether with a discussion of "The Brown Rot Disease of the Red- 
wood," by Dr. Hermann von Schrenlc, of the Bureau of Plant Indus- 
try, and of " Insect Enemies of the Redwood," by Dr. A. D. Hopkins, 
of the Division of Entomology, and to recommend its publication as 
Bulletin No. 38 of the Bureau of Forestry, 

In the summer of 1899 several prominent manufacturers of the 
Pacific coast requested that the Division (now Bureau) of Forestry 
make a study of the Redwood. They contributed $550 toward the 
expense of the work, and offered the hos^Ditality of their camps to 
the agents who should have it in charge. The Division put a party 
in the field, which in six months during the years 1899 and 1900 exam- 
ined nearly all the Redwood belt. Studies of old timber were made at 
Fort Bragg, Mendocino County; at Scotia, Humboldt Count}^; at 
Ryan's Slough, near Eui'eka; at Vance's, on Mad River; and at Cres- 
cent City, Del Norte County. Second growth in small areas was 
studied at Crescent City, Trinidad, Eureka, and Areata. For courte- 
sies received in lumber camps at these places acknowledgment is made. 

The illustrations, which include thirteen full page plates, four text 
figures, and two diagrams, are considered essential for a proper under- 
standing of the text. 
Respectfully, 

GiFFORD PiNCHOT, Forester. 

Hon. James Wilson, 

Secretary of Agriculture. 

2 

)V 27 liiUb 
D.ofO.. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

A study of the Redwood, by Richard T. Fisher, field assistant, Bureau of 



Forestry 7 

Scope of the study 7 

Conclusions reached by the study 7 

Introduction 7 

Forest description 8 

The Redwood and the Big Tree distinct species 8 

Distribution of the Redwood 9 

Climate and topography 9 

Silvicultural types 9 

The Redwood Slope 9 

The Redwood Flat 11 

Characteristics of the Redwood ]2 

Height and diameter 12 

Age of the Redwood 12 

Form and development 12 

Soil moisture the first requisite 12 

The Redwood follows the fogs 13 

The quality of the wood varies 13 

The large Redwoods outnumber the small ones 13 

Reproduction by suckers and by seedlings 14 

Yield of Redwood stands 14 

Tolerance, or shade-enduring qualities 14 

Enemies of the Redwood forest 15 

Fire 15 

Wind seldom uj)i'oots the Redwood 16 

Species in mixture 16 

Lumbering: Its history and extent 17 

Present operations 17 

Qualities of the wood 17 

Resistance of lumber to fire and insects 18 

Uses for Redwood 18 

Cost of lumbering 18 

Where the lumber goes 19 

Destructive lumbering methods 19 

Cut-over lands; possibility of second growth 20 

Valuable second growth 20 

A better market necessary 21 

A study of second-growth Redwood 21 

The tract at Crescent City 21 ■• ' 

Tracts at Eureka and Areata 21 

The Redwood's fight for the ground 21 

The tract at Trinidad 22 



4 



CONTENTS. 



A sillily of the Redwood — Continued. Page. 
Cut-over lands — Continued. 

A .study of second-growth Redwood — (Continued. 

The valuation surveys [. 22 

How the tables were made 23 

Where the tables apjily 27 

Conclusions 27 

The simplest management tlie best 27 

AVhat one company has done 27 

The Brown Rot Disease of the Redwood, by Hermann von Schrenk, Bureau 

of Plant Industry 29 

Decay in Redwood jmles • 31 

Prevention 31 

Explanation of plates 31 

Insect Enemies of the Redwood, by A. D. Hoi)kins, Division of Entomology . 32 
The Sequoia K'gerinian, or Redwood jntch worm ( Yesp<mwria sequoix Hy. 

Edw. ) 32 

Remedy 33 

Cedar bark-beetles 33 

The Redwood l^ark-beetle (Pliloeoshrus fiequoia' Hopk. ) 33 

Remedy 34 

Lawson's Cyjiress bark-beetle {Flilwofiinns cupn'-^si) 35 

Remedy 38 

Parasites 38 

The Monterey Cyjiress bark-l)eetle {PhlmmnuH crhtatus Lec.) 39 

Immunit}' of Redwood from attack hy termites or white ants 39 

TABLES. 

Table 1. Redwood Slope 10 

2. Redwood Flat 11 

3. Valuation survey of second-growth Redwood 22 

4. Merchantaljle volume of Redwood timber 23 

5. Merchantable yield of Redwood per acre 24 

6. Pile length of Redwood 24 

7. AVidth of sapwood and diameter of heart wood 27 



I I. L U S T R A T I (J N S. 



PLA'l'ES. 

]'«fe'a. 



Virgin Redwood along South Fork of I^el River Frontispiece. 

Plate T. Fig. 1. — Redwood Slope, South Fork of Eel River. Fig. 2. — Red- 
wood Slope, Big Basin, Santa Cruz Mountains. 8 

II. Fig. 1. — Redwood Flat, alluvial benches. South Fork of Eel River. 

Fig. 2.— Redwood Flat, Crescent City 8 

III. Fig. 1. — Typical forms of mature Redwood, Crescent City. Fig. 2. — 

Characteristic sprouting of broken Redwood 8 

IV. Fig. 1. — Sprouts of one season's growth, Crescent City. Fig. 2. — 

Sprouts 6 to 8 years old, Crescent City , 8 

V. Fig. 1. — Sprouts 25 years old, Crescent City. Fig. 2. — Mature sprouts 

in virgin timber. Crescent City 10 

VI. Redwood logging. "Fallers" making the undercut. Caspar, jVIendo- 

cino County ■ ](_> 

VII. Redwood logging. The yarding donkey and yarding crew, Caspar, 

Mendocino County 16 

VIII. Fig. 1. — Logged slope on Big River. Fig. 2. — Slope similar to tig. 

1, showing subsequent reproduction of Fir and Redwood IG 

IX. Fig. 1. — Second-growth Redwood at Eureka, 30 to 35 years old. Fig. 

2. — Second-growth Redwood at Mendocino, 40 to 45 years old 24 

X. Sections of Redwood logs, showing brown rot: Fig. 1. — Distribution 

of pockets of diseased wood. Fig. 2. — Pockets of diseased wood 

in various stages 24 

XI. Tangential section of Redwood log affected with l)rown rot 24 

XII. Work of Redwood bark-beetle „ 24 

TEXT FIGUKES. 

Fig. 1. The Redwood l^ark-beetle 34 

2. The Lawson's Cypress bark-beetle 35 

3. Work of the Lawson's Cypress bark-ljeetle in twigs of living trees 37 

4. The Monterey Cypress bark-beetle 39 

DIAGRAMS. 

DiAGKAM 1. Height on a basis of age 25 

2. Diameter on a basis of age 2(5 

5 



THE REDWOOD. 



A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 

By Richard T. Fisher, 

Field Assistant, Bureau of Forestry. 

SCOPE OF THE STUDY. 

This study concerns itself with young second-growth Redwood 
rather than with mature trees; with lumbered areas rather than with 
the virgin forest. Where attention is given the old forest and methods 
of lumbering, it is only that a better knowledge may be gained of sec- 
ond growth and how to deal with it. 

An attempt is made to answer the question whether it would prove 
profitable to hold cut-over Redwood lands for future crops. To save 
the young growth when the old timber is lumbered and to protect the 
cut-over lands from fire can not be done without cost. The problem, 
then, more plainly presents itself: Does the Coast Redwood i-eproduce 
itself well enough, grow fast enough, and can it be protected cheaply 
enough to make it profitable to hold the lands ? 

CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY THE STUDY. 

The following facts have been determined: 

That the Redwood reproduces itself abundantly by sprouts on cut- 
over lands, and occasionally by seed; 

That in thirty j^ears, in a fair soil and a dense stand, it will produce 
trees of 16 inches diameter, 80 feet high, yielding 2,000 feet board 
measure per acre; and 

That after careful lumbering under favorable conditions it does pay 
to hold cut-over Redwood lands for future crops. 

INTRODUCTION. 

In order to deal with a tree so as to make it produce as much wood 
as possible in the shortest time, it is necessar}' to know a great deal 
about its silvicultural habits. This includes a knowledge of its soil 
and moisture requirements, the climate and altitude it prefers, its 



8 



THE REDWOOD. 



abilit}' to grow in the shade, and, ino.st important of all, its rate of 
growth under different conditions. 

Serions difficulties lie in the way of obtaining such knowledge of 
the Redwood. If full}' exposed, the tree makes a surprisingly rapid 
growth; if suppressed, it may exist for a hundred years with but 
slight increase in diameter, onl}' to take on new life when again exposed 
and to grow like a sapling. The Redwood forest is so dense that, 
according to the methods now in use, to lumber it is to annihilate it. 
Since the reproduction starts up under conditions entirely different 
from those that prevailed in the old forest, its rate of growth will vary. 
It is evident that the rate of growth of young timber can not be fore- 
casted from that of old trees, and that trees, to furnish material for 
yield tables, must have been growing under the same general conditions 
as those trees to which the tables are to be applied. 

The old Redwood will inevitably be cut. Occasionally, it is true, 
parks and recreation grounds msij preserve, on small areas, examples 
of this wonderful forest growth, but generall}' the Redwood must be 
lumbered on account of its commercial value. Since it is Avith the 
Redwood as a timber tree that the present study is concerned, the 
question of preserving it for its beauty is necessarily outside the pur- 
pose of the discussion. 

But while the old forest must be lumbered, it is important that the 
lumbering should be less destructive to the young trees. Difficult as 
logging is among the great Redwoods, it need not mean the total 
destruction of the forest. Better uiethods than those now in use must 
soon be found possible and profitable. In support of this x^rediction 
may be cited the case of the Mendocino Lumber Company, an account 
of whose operations is given in this bulletin. This company has fur- 
nished very valuable lessons in Redwood forest management, and has 
gone far to solve the problem of providing for second growth on Red- 
wood lands. By exercising care in cutting, it has secured splendid 
stands of second growth on land which, had it been lumbered by the 
ordinar}' methods, would be now almost valueless. 

FOREST DESCRIPTION. 

THE REDWOOD AND THE BIG TREE DISTINCT SPECIES. 

The Redwood of California {/Sequoia sempervireiis) belongs to a 
genus of which the Big Tree {Sequoia washingtoniana) is the only 
other species now alive. Both are allied to the Cypress {Taxodimn 
distichurii)^ and their lumber is often called by the same name, but 
they are botanically distinct from each other. They do not even 
occupy the same situations. The Big Tree occurs in scattered bodies 
on the west slopes of the Sierra Nevada, while the Redwood forms 
dense forests on the west slopes of the Coast Range. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate I. 




Fig. 2.— Redwood Slope, Big Basin, Santa Cruz Mountains. 



Bui. 38, 



Bureau of Forostry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate II. 




Fig. 2.— Redwood Flat, Crescent City. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Dept of Agricul-ture. 



Plate III. 




Fig. 2.— Characteristic Sprouting of Broken Redwood. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Foresliy, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate IV. 




Fig. 2.— Sprouts 6 to 8 Years Old, Crescent City. 



A STUDY OF THK KKi)W<J(tl). 



9 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE REDWOOD. 

The Redwood i.s popularly thouo-ht to occupy a strip of country 10 
to 30 miles wide, from the Oro'gon line to the Bay of Monterey, ])ut 
these boundaries do not cover its actual distriUution. Two thousand 
acres of Redwood, in two separate groups, are growing in Oregon 
along the Chetco River. South of the Chetco a continuous Redwood 
belt begins. By Avay of the river valleys and lowlands it increases its 
width from 10 miles, at Del Norte Comity, to 18 or yo miles, and 
keeps on unbroken to southern Humboldt Comity. Here, for aliout a 
township, it thins out, but becomes dense again 6 miles north of the 
Mendocino line, and after entering that county widens to 3.5 miles, its 
greatest width. The Redwood belt ends in Mendocino County, but 
isolated forests of the species are growing in sheltered spots as far 
south as Salmon Creek Canyon, in the Santa Lucia Mountains, Mon- 
terey County, 12 miles south of Punta Gorda, and 500 miles from the 
northern limit of the tree along the Chetco River. 

CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY. 

The climate and topography that have brought about this limited 
distribution of the Redwood deserve attention. North and south along 
the coast, in nearlj^ parallel ridges, lie the mountains of the Coast 
Range, steep and rising to altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 feet. A few 
large rivers and many smaller streams cut through them to enter the 
sea, and along their courses in places are broad bottom lands and 
gentle slopes. West of the Coast Range the climate is even and mod- 
erate, with a range from just below freezing to SO-' F., and a yearly 
average of from 50° to 60°. Snow lies on the tops of only the high- 
est ridges. Thirty to 60 inches of rain falls in the autumn and winter, 
and in the summer sea fog bathes the coast. But east of the moun- 
tains, less than 50 miles from the sea, lie hot interior valleys, never 
visited by the fog, parched and rainless in the summer, and wet only 
occasionally by the winter rains — conditions too unfavorable to permit 
the growth of the Redwood. 

SILVICULTURAL TYPES. 

The Redwood ma}' be considered in two types — Redwood Slope and 
Redwood Flat. It passes from one to the other as the ground l)econies 
steep and dry or level and moist, and admits other species wherever 
the situation satisfies their requirements. 

THE REDWOOD SLOPE. 

The common type is the Redwood Slope (PI. I). It occurs on the 
steep sides of the Coast Range, and is a mixture of Redwood. Red Fir, 
Tanbark Oak, and White Fir, with an occasional jNIadrona or Hemlock. 



10 THE RF:DW()()D. 

The Redwood i.s the predouiinaiit tree in the mixture, and the Red Fir 
ranks next. 

The composition of the forest is shown in the following table, which 
is constructed from surve3rs taken in six localities. Scotia and D3rer- 
ville, since they showed similar conditions, were thrown together. In 
accoi'dance with the custom of the country, timber with a diameter 
of 20 inches breasthigh is classed as merchantable. 



Table 1. — Redirond Slope. 



Locality and species. 


Trees 4 inches and 
over in diame- 
ter breasthigh. 


Trees 4 to 19 
inches in d i - 
ameter breast- 
high. 


Trees 20 inches and over in 
diameter breasthigh. 


Average 
number 
of trees 

per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average- 
number 
of trees 
per acrCi 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
number 
of trees 
per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
diameter 
breast- 
high. 


CRESCENT CITY. 














Inches. 


Hemlock 


35. 24 


37 


33. 11 


50 


2. 13 


7 


26 




3'2. 71 


34 


9.73 


15 


22. 98 


79 


71 


White Fir 


15. 25 


16 


14. 11 


21 


1.14 
2.63 


4 


30 


Bed Fir 


7.06 


7 


4.43 




9 


56 


Tanbark Oak 


4. 94 


5 


4. 89 


7 


. 05 




21 


Spruce 


.7.S 


1 


.57 


.21 


1 


29 








Total 


95. 98 


100 


66.84 


100 


29. 14 


100 








VANCE'S. 
















Redwood 


25. 44 


40 


5. 94 


17 


19.50 


68 


105 


Hemlock 


23. 25 


37 


19. 50 


56 


3.75 


13 


32 


White Fir 


14. 87 


23 


9. 31 


27 


5. 56 


19 


35 












63. 56 


100 


34.75 


100 


28.81 


100 








RYAN'S SLOUGH. 
















Redwood 


52. 24 


06 


24.43 


79 


27. 81 


57 


81 


White Fir 


13.47 


17 


3. 14 


10 


10. 33 


21 


38 


Red Fir 


10.86 


13 


.76 


3 


10. 10 


21 


41 


Hemlock 


2.95 


4 


2. .57 


8 


.38 




34 














Total 


79. 52 


100 


30.90 


100 


48. 62 


100 








SCOTIA AND DYERVH.l.K. 
















Redwood 


46.59 


72 


14. 76 


55 


31. 83 


85 


63 


Tanbark Oak 


8. 59 
7.93 


14 

12 


7.90 


29 


.69 


2 


26 


White Fir 


4.29 


16 


3.64 


10 


31 


Red Fir 


1.41 


2 


.10 


1.31 


3 


42 












Total 


64.52 


100 


27.05 


100 


37.47 


100 








FORT BRAGG. 
















Redwood 


.S8. 21 


64 


13.02 


60 


25. 19 


67 


79 


Red Fir 


8. 16 


14 


1.04 


5 


7. 12 


19 


39 


Tanbark Oak 


6.22 


10 


4.87 


22 


1.35 


4 


26 


White Fir 


4.56 


8 


1, 60 


7 


2.96 


8 


33 


Hemlock 


2. 11 


4 


1 42 


6 


.69 


2 


25 














Total 


59.26 


100 


21. 95 


100 


37.31 


100 









A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 



11 



The slope of the ground and the uneven height and density of tlie 
different species in mixture admit enough light to make the Redwood 
Slope comparatively open, so that, except whore tires are fr(Mjuent, 
there is a dense undergrowth of huckleberry, salal, Oregon gi'ape, 
thimbleberry, and ferns. 

Differences in altitude and the steepness of the slope cause differ- 
ences in the condition of the forest. The higher the altitude and the 
steeper the slope, the sparser and poorer the growth becomes. 

THE REDWOOD FLAT. 

As the slopes become moderate, the altitude lower, the soil deeper, 
and the water supply better, the Redwood steadily gains on the other 
species and the forest becomes denser, until, on the rich flats and 
gulches, a second type is evolved. This is the Redwood Flat (PI. II), 
and in its extreme form it has no other tree than Redwood. 

The surveys for the following tables were taken on level gi'ound, 
where the soil was deep and the moisture abundant. 

Table 2.— Redwood Flat. 



Locality and species. 


Trees 4 inches and 
over in diame- 
ter breasthigh. 


Trees 4 to 19 
inches in di- 
ameter breast- 
high. 


Trees 20 inches and over in 
diameter breasthigh. 


Average 
number 
of trees 

per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
number 
of trees 
per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
number 
of trees 

per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 

species. 


Average 
diameter 
breast- 
high. 


CRESCENT CITY. 

Redwood 

Hemlock 

Spruce 

Total 


37. 10 
19.16 
3.02 


63 
32 
5 


12. 79 
16.02 
1.93 


42 

52 
6 


24.31 
3. 14 
1.09 


85 
11 
4 


Inches. 
84 
28 
31 


59.28 


100 


30.74 : 100 


28. 54 


100 




SCOTIA AND DYEKVILLE. 

Redwood 




50.50 




14. 31 




36.20 




76 











The Eel River stands are the extreme form of the Redwood Flat, 
and the tree here attains its greatest known height and clear length. 

o o o 

On the benches that line the stream the Redwood possesses all the 
growing space, and casts a shade so dense that no ground cover except 
oxalis and occasional tufts of sword fern will grow beneath it. 

While the heaviest stands and the best timber are found on the 
Redwood Flat, this type comprises a very small percentage of the Red- 
wood forest, being confined mainlj' to narrow strips along the streams, 
occasional coastal plains, and the river deltas. The " rough country," 
as the Redwood slopes are called, so far exceeds the Redwood flats in 
extent that the proportion of the former to the latter is about 50 to 1. 



12 THE REDWOOD. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REDWOOD 
HEIGHT AND DIAMETER. 

The Redwood grows to a greater height than an}' other American 
tree, but in girth and in age it is exceeded b_y the Big Tree of the 
Sierras. On the slopes 2:^5 feet is about its maximum height and 10 
feet its greatest diameter, while on the Hats, under better conditionsy 
it grows to be 350 feet high, with a diameter of 20 feet. 

AGE OF THE REDWOOD. 

Most of the Redwoods cut are from iOO to 800 years old. After the 
tree has passed the age of 500 years it usually begins to die down from 
the top and to fall off in growth. The oldest Redwood found during, 
this investigation began life 1,373 A^ears ago. 

FORM AND DEVELOPMENT. 

The tree, when normal, has a straight, slightly tapered bole, clear 
for more than a hundred feet, and a crown of horizontal l:)ranches that 
may occup}' from a third to a half of its total length. (PI. Ill, fig. 1.) 
Although without a taproot, it is well adapted to securing water in dry 
gi'ound. The roots strike downward at a sharp angle, and are so large 
and so numerous as to form a compact mass of wood, in shape like an 
inverted funnel. The bark of the tree oii'ers such a I'emarkable resist- 
ance to tire that except under great heat it is not combustible. It is 
of a reddish-gray color, fibrous in texture, and gives to full-grown 
Redwoods a fluted appearance. 

The Redwood assumes a wide variety of shapes, and the normal is 
not its common form. In the old forests the crown may consist of a 
few long, flat limbs or of a mass of little bushy branches reaching from 
the ground to the top of the tree. (PI. Ill, tig. 2.) Many Redwoods 
grow burls on the trunk that are 10 feet long, and some carry curious 
protuberances called ''hanging necks,"' which droop and are open at 
the ends. Most of these irregulaiities in the tree are caused b}' the 
healing of its hurts. A Avindfall may break off the crown; immedi- 
ately the liroken limbs sprout and replace a part of what was lost. 
The fireproof sheathing of bark may be scraped away in a place and a 
little of the sapwood l)urned; the spot .grows over and a burl nia_v 
result. Fire may burn one of the Ijranches and leave a charred snag 
behind; sapwood grows over the snag and forms a hanging neck. 
However badly the tree may be injured, if enough live wood is left it 
will heal the injury. 

SOIL MOISTURE THE FIRST REQUISITE. 

The Redwood requires little of the soil except that it be moist. The 
prevailing formation from Port St. George to Mendocino County, 



A STUDY Ob' THE KEDVVOOD. 



13 



where the tree grows, is a .sandstone, coniplicated at did'ei-eiit places 
with a Uiter .stratum, and the .soil has a cla^ye}' to sandy consistency, 
greas}' when wet, 3'ellowish in color, and with a capacity for holdinj;*' 
much water. Moi.sture available for the roots is the hrst need of the 
Redwood, as any hilly tract of forest will .show. Wherever a small 
gully, or bench, or basin is so placed as to receive an uncommon amount 
of seepage, or wherever a creek flows by, there the trees are sure to 
be largest. Even if the soil be not rich, ])ut merelj' gravel, and it 
contain much moisture, the Redwood will grow more a))undantly there 
than on richer ))ut drier ground. 

THE REDWOOD FOLLOWS THE FOGS. 

While moisture of the soil atlects the development of the Red- 
wood, moisture of the atmosphere regulates its distribution. The 
limits of the sea fogs are just about the limits of the tree. The fogs, 
unless scattered by the winds, flow inward among the mountains. 
W^estern exposures receive most of the mist they carry, except those 
higher ridges above their reach, which support, in consequence, only 
a scattering growth of Redwood. Eastern and southern slopes, where 
the sun is hot and the mists strike only occasionally, show few Red- 
woods, and these are short and limliy. 

THE QUALITY OF THE WOOD VARIES. 

The wood of the Redwood varies greatly. The softest and best trees 
usuallj' grow in the bottoms; the "flinty" timber occurs on the slopes. 
But this rule does not alwa^ys hold good. Such fine tracts as those on 
the Crescent City flats show all sorts of unexpected and unaccountable 
differences in the quality of the timber. A soft, fine-grained tree will 
be found close beside one ' ' flinty and less valuable. Even the practical 
logger is never sure until he cuts it what kind of lumber a Redwood 
will j'ield. The tree's vitality is so great, it endures so mav vicissi- 
tudes, and suffers from so man}^ accidents in the centuries of its exist- 
ence, that the grain of its wood becomes uneven in proportion as its 
life has been eventful. Most Redwoods become windshaken, or, if 
they escape this, the wood fibers formed under diftercnt rates of 
growth sometimes set up a tension so great that when the log is sawed 
the wood splits with a lovid report. 

THE LARGE REDWOODS OUTNUMBER THE SMALL ONES. 

Tlje Redwood forest is of the selection type; that is, it contains trees 
of widely varying ages in a single mixture, and keeps itself stocked by 
reproduction under its own shade. But while in the usual selection 
forest of other species the young trees far outnumber the mature ones, 
in a virgin Redwood forest as much as 72 per cent of the trees have 
been found to l)e above 20 inches m diameter. 



14 



THE REDWOOD. 



REPRODUCTION BY SUCKERS AND BY SEEDLINGS. 

Careful examination has proved that sucker and seedling share in 
the reproduction of the Redwood forest; but they share unequally, for 
the proportion of suckers to seedlings is as 100 to 1. The limited 
number of seedlings is due both to the quality of the seed and to the 
opportunities for germination afforded it. The habit of perpetuating 
itself by sprouts seems to have weakened the vitality of the Redwood's 
seed. Mr. P. Rock, of the horticultural staff at Golden Gate Park, 
sa,js that under the best conditions only 15 to 25 per cent of Redwood 
seed will germinate. The seed requires more light than the forest 
usually affords it, and suckers cast so dense a shade as to crowd it out 
even when it does germinate. 

Plates IV and V show how quickly Redwood will reproduce itself 
from sprouts. In PI. IV, fig. 1, is represented the growth of the first 
few months after the slashing was logged and burned. Such shoots 
are as soft and juicy as asparagus. In PI. IV, fig. 2, is seen the size 
and development reached in six to eight years. In PL V, fig. 1, are 
shown suckers which have passed the age of twenty-five j'ears, and 
which have begun to take on a forest form. The parent stump is 
visible in the rear. PI. V, fig. 2, shows a characteristic clump of 
mature Redwoods, surrounding and concealing the parent stem, but 
revealing unmistakably their identity as sprouts. 

YIELD OF REDWOOD STANDS. 

The yield of virgin Redwoods on the northern flats is from 125,000 
to 150,000 board feet per acre. Farther south it is much less. About 
Humboldt Bay it is from 50,000 to 76,000 feet per acre; and on slopes 
like those in Sonoma County, from 20,000 to 30,000 feet. The amount 
of timber got out of a Redwood forest is only a small proportion of 
what the stand contained. At least a quarter of the timber is destroyed 
in felling and in the burning that follows, and of what remains all the 
broken and misshapen logs are left on the ground. 

TOLERANCE, OR SHADE-ENDURING QUALITIES. 

The seed of the Redwood will not germinate in shaded places; the 
small seedling demands plenty of light. The crown is almost as thin 
and open as that of the larch — another sign that the tree is not natur- 
ally shade-enduring. In a mixed stand the Redwood's branches die 
off more rapidlv than those of its companions, and the crown bends 
eagerly to the places where the light enters the forest canopy. But 
in spite of these signs of its sensitiveness to hght, the Re.dwood forms 
one of the densest forests that grow. 

The reason for this is that the stand is chiefly maintained by sucker- 
ing from old trees. Supported and nourished by full-grown roots and 
stems, young trees grow under shade that would kill the small seedling. 



A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 



15 



The sprout manages to survive year after year by connection witli its 
parent, and to mal?;e a slight increment of wood. When an old tree 
is felled, more light is let in, more nourishment made available, and 
the sprout shoots up with all its native vigor. 

The sprout will endure an astonishing amount of shade. In stands 
of second growth, so dense that not a ray of sunlight can enter, sap- 
lings 6 or 8 feet high are to be found growing fi-om stumps, bare of 
branch- or foliage except for a few inches of pale green crown at the 
top. In very dark, damp places in the virgin forest one may find 
clumps of shoots as white as sprouts from a potato in a cellar. 

The tolerance of the Redwood sprout depends somewhat on soil 
moisture. On the bottoms the tree is enabled to stand so much shade 
that other species are usually driven out of competition for the ground. 
On the hills, where there is less moisture and more light, the Redwood 
generally gives way to the less tolerant Fir and to such drought- 
enduring species as Tanbark Oak and Madrona. 

ENEMIES OF THE REDWOOD FOREST. 

The enemies of the Redwood are few, and it suffers from them less 
than other trees. The wind can scarcely uproot it, insects seem to do it 
little harm, and fungi seldom affect it. Even fire, the great enemy of all 
trees, though it may occasionally kill whole stands of young Redwood 
growth, is unable to penetrate the fireproof sheathing of shaggy bark 
with which the old trees protect themselves. 

FIRE. 

For centuries fires have run through Redwood forests. They have 
killed young growth, made "goose pens" by burning out the litter 
from between the roots, and scarred the bark of the older trees; but 
the Redwood has sufi^ei'ed less from fires than has any other species. 
In the damp northern part of the Redwood belt the forest is too wet 
to burn. Farther south, during August and September, while the 
trade winds are ])lowing and the land is dry from lack of rain, fires 
are frequent. Even then, unless the conditions are exceptional, the 
fires are seldom dangerous. But if the dry season has been unusually 
long and the wind is very high, and a fire is driven down fi'om the 
bald hills into the heavy timber of the flats and gulches, the flames 
may gain such headwa}^ as to sweep from the forest all the 3'ounger 
trees and the underbrush. Ridge fires commonly clear the ground of 
underbrush and occasionall}^ kill small trees. In September, 19U0, a 
ridge fire occurred near Occidental, Sonoma Count}^, where the forest 
of Redwood, Fir, and Tanbark Oak is thin and scattering, with dense, 
dry underbrush. The wind drove the flames over the ground as fast 
as a man could run; fences, bridges, and farm buildings were burned; 
young timber was killed and the growth of the old timber checked. 



16 



THE REDWOOD. 



Complete recovery from .such a fire is slow. The leaf mold is burned 
off and the soil is made naked as a road. The large Redwoods will 
sprout again from their stumps; but the rest of the space, once occu- 
pied by Fir and Oak, will ])e covered first b}' buck brush and blue 
blossom, until, after years, the Fir and Oak return. 

The common cause of fire in the forest is the carelessness of campers 
and settlers, who leave their camp fires burning. Sparks from the 
brush fires of logging camps occasionally start a blaze in the timber, 
and lightning may be responsible for a few forest fires. 

WIND SELDOM UPROOTS THE REDWOOD. 

When a strong wind follows a long rain}' season, Redwoods exposed 
on high ridges may sometimes be blown down, but. no considerable 
tracts of forest are ever overthrown. 

SPECIES IN MIXTURE. 

Of the trees which grow with the Redwood in the forest the follow- 
ing are the most important: 

Red Fir, Pseudotsuga taxifolia (Lam.) Britt. 
Tanbark Oak, Quercus densiflora Hook. & Arn. 
Sitka Spruce, Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Trautv. & Mayer. 
Port Orford Cedar, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Murr. ) Pari. 
Giant Arborvitae, "Red Cedar," Thuja 2)liccita Don. 
"Western Hemlock, Tmga heterophylla (Raf. ) Sargent. 
Lowland Fir, "White Fir," Abies grandis Lindl. 
Pacitic Yew, Taxus brevifolia Nutt. 

California Torrej-a, Turnion calif orrdcum (Torr. ) Greene. 
Knobcone Pine, Pinas contorta Loud. 

California Laurel, "Pepperwood," Umbellularia caJijornica (Hook. & Arn.) 
Nutt. 

Madrona, Arbvius menziesii Pursh. 

Cascara Buckthorn, "Cascara Sagrada," Rhamnm imrshiana de C. 

Red Alder, 'Ahms oregona Nutt. 

Gowen Cypress, Cujjressus goveniana Gord. 

These trees are usually beaten in the struggle for growing space by 
the Redwood, which is climaticalh' the most favored, but each species 
finds places here and there where the conditions enable it to hold its 
own. Red Fir. or Oregon Pine, the mo.st abundant and important of 
the trees in mixture, occurs with Redwood everywhere except on damp 
flats and in gulches. It gi-ows best on medium soil, on ridges and 
high flats where the forest is comparatively open. On some fine tracts, 
as in Del Norte County, it constitutes 75 per cent of the stand. Next 
to Redwood, it is the most used of the timber trees on the coast, and 
in Mendocino County forms from lt» to 2U per cent of the output of 
the mills. 



Bui. 38, Bureau ot Forestry. U, S. Dep-t of Agriculturo. 



Plate V. 




Fig. 2.— Mature Sprouts in Virgin Timber, Crescent City. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 



Plate VI. 




Redwood Logging. "Fallers" Making the Undercut, Caspar, Mendocino 

County, Cal. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestiy, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture 



Plate VII. 




Redwood Logging. The Yarding Donkey and Yarding Crew, Caspar, Mendocino County, Cal. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate VIII. 




Fig. 2.— Slope Similar to Above, Showing Subsequent Reproduction 
OF Fir and Redwood. 



A STUDY 



OF THE EEDWOOD. 



17 



LUMBEHING: ITS HISTORY AND EXTENT. 

The Spaniards, near San Francisco Bay, were the first to loi^' the 
Redwood forests, but their cuttings were very small. I^ate in the 
eighteenth centur\' a Russian colony cleared a tract of Redwood, which 
has since grown up to good timber and again been cut over; but no 
considerable amount of logging was done until long after the Russians 
had left. About the year 1850 small mills started up in Santa Clara 
and Santa Cruz counties, at Albion, and at the mouth of Big River, in 
Mendocino County, at Areata and Eureka, on Humboldt Ba}', and at 
Trinidad. At first the mills on Humboldt Bay cut chiefly Red Fir 
and Sitka Spruce, as Redwood was not valued; and the other mills cut 
very little Redwood, since the tree was without a market and the mill 
men were handicapped by the lack of improved machinery . In those 
days logs were usually driven to the mill in the rivers, and the strong- 
freshets carried many out to sea. As soon as the growth of San Fran- 
cisco and the settlement of the southern counties developed a market, 
more companies and better methods came in. Logging railroads 
superseded driving, and donkey engines did the work of teams. By 
the early nineties mills were employing about the same number of men 
as now (1900) and had about their present equipment. ' 

PRESENT OPERATIONS. 

Redwood lumbering is now narrowed to northern counties in Cali- 
fornia. In Santa Cruz Count.y all the large stands of Redwood will 
be made into a park. In Marin County Redwood has long since dwin- 
dled to a few isolated groves, used mosth^ as picnic grounds. In 
Sonoma County Redwood holdings are reduced to a few scattered 
claims. Large operations begin in Mendocino County. The ten saw- 
mills in this county had in 1900 cleared 150,000 acres, or 25 per cent 
of the total acreage, including the largest and best stands. In Hum- 
boldt Count}'- the mills had cleared 65,000 acres, and in Del Norte 
County two mills had cleared 3,000 acres. It is unsafe to estimate 
"what proportion of the original stand these cuttings repi-esent. 

QUALITIES OF THE "WOOD. 

Redwood possesses qualities which fit it for man}"" uses. In color it 
shades from light cheriy to dark mahogany; its grain is usually 
straight, fine, and even; its weight is light; its consistency firm, yet 
soft. It is easily worked, takes a beautiful polish, and is the most 
durable of the coniferous woods of California. It resists decay so 
well that trees which have lain five hundred years in the forest have 
been sent to the mill and sawed into lumber. 
12478— No. .38—03 2 



18 



THE EEDWOOD. 



KESISTANCE OF LUMBER TO FIRES AND INSECTS. 

The wood is without resin and offers a strong resistance to fire, as 
is indicated by the record of fires in San Francisco, -where it is much 
used. Insects seldom injure it, because of an acid element its lumber 
contains. In sea water, however, the marine teredo eats off Redwood 
piling- as readilj^ as other timber. 

USES FOR REDWOOD. 

Redwood is used for all kinds of finishing- and construction lumber, 
for shingles, railroad ties, electric-light poles, paving Ijlocks, tanks, 
and pipe staves. It is an excellent wood for all these purposes. As a 
tie its average life, under heav}^ traffic, is six to eight years; as shingles 
it will last as long as forty years. The chief difficulty in working- 
Redwood lies in the seasoning- process. The tree absorbs so much 
moisture that the butt logs will sink in water. Left in the sun, they 
require three or four 5^ears to dry. 

COST OF LUMBERING. 

The manufacture of Redwood lumber is costly and difficult. From 
the felling of the tree to the delivery of the finished product unusual 
problems and expenses beset the mill man. Most of the land where 
the Redwood grows is rough and hill}^ and from 100 to 250 miles 
from the main market, which can be reached onlj^ by sea. None but 
the big companies can operate with an}' profit, and each plant has 
usuall}" to own a complete outfit. This includes the mill and accom- 
panying buildings, about 10 miles of railroad track, two locomotives, 
three to six donkey engines, several logging camps (including all the 
rigging and tools that go with them), and perhaps a pair of steam 
schooners. The men employed number from 150 to 300. Yet, even 
on such a scale, the business is very uncertain. On account of the 
sparseness of the settlement, labor is scarce and high and taxes are 
severe. The most prosperous companies are those which have developed 
a town with their business. They run a general store, raise most of 
their own supplies, and sometimes have a local sale for their common 
lumber and for firewood. 

Redwood lumber is at pi'esent not highly profitable to mill men. It 
costs, according to the accessibility of the timber and the price of 
labor, from $3 to $5.60 a thousand feet, board measure, to log — that 
is, to deliver at the mill; from |3 to $3.50 to saw; from 25 to 50 cents 
to load, and from |2.60 to $1 to ship to the city. These items, with 
the expenses of the city offices and sales, bring up the average total 
to $10.75, or in many cases, with insurance, taxes, interest on capital, 
stumpage, and accidents reckoned in, about $12. 



A STUDY OF THE EEDWOOD. 



19 



WHERE THE LUMBER GOES. 

I'hc market i.s uncertain and liiiiited. Redwood must depend for its 
sale on the demand of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the southern 
counties of the State. Occasional cargoes go to Australia, Honolulu, 
South America, and the Orient; but this outlet is restricted by the 
' necessity for costly reshipment at San Francisco, since seagoing 
vessels can not load everywhere on the coast. For five years prices 
have remained $11 to |13 for rough, and $18 to $25 for clear, merchant- 
able Redwood. This leaves little room for profit. It would appear 
that so useful a wood should find a ready sale in the East; but at present 
Eastern buyers do not appreciate its good qualities, and high freight 
rates have helped to keep it out of Eastern markets. 

DESTRUCTIVE LUMBERING METHODS. 

Redwood lumbering is expensive and difficult. Steam is used 
throughout the process. On the flats and bottoms, where the trees 
average from 5 to 15 feet in diameter, the stand is very dense, and to 
get Redwood out of the forest without breaking other trees is not an 
easy task. Choppers who can save a good percentage of the wood in 
the trees felled must be experienced men. If the tree is not felled so 
as to strike throughout most of its length at the same time, the brittle 
wood will break and splinter badl}^ To prevent this, a "lay-out" is 
usually leveled for the tree to fall on. Even then the whole of the 
crown and at least a fourth of the bole are demolished and strewn upon 
the ground. The mass of broken branches may lie shoulder deep, and 
the logs must be got out from this tangled wreckage. 

After the choppers have done their work, the " ringers" and "peel- 
ers" follow. They peel the bark from the logs and let it lie with the 
l)roken branches, which soon dry and are then set afire. When bark 
and l)ranches are consumed the logs lie free, and the logger can put 
sawyers and swampers to work, and move in his yarding donkey engine 
and rigging. Many small trees used by the yarding crew to set blocks 
are iinavoidably girdled; the rest are in constant danger from the 
moving logs, which work this way and that, plow into the earth, and 
butt into the .young trees until scarcely" one of them is left unharmed. 

After the yarding crew has done its work the log's progress to mill 
is over land already slashed and burned. Three or four logs are 
coupled together, attached to an endless cable, and hauled to the rail- 
road track by a bull-donkey engine, which stands on a landing at the 
end of the skid road and winds in a wire rope on a drum. Then, with 
block and tackle, worked either by the train locomotive or a smaller 
donkey engine, the logs are loaded upon trucks and hauled to the mill 
pond.' (Pis. Viand VII.) 



20 



THE REDWOOD. 



CTJT-OVER LANDS: POSSIBILITY OF SECOND GROWTH. 

During- the liftv 3'ears in which the Redwood has been lumbered, 
several hundred thousand acres of timber have been cut over. The 
good lands have been put into cultivation under fruit or grain, or, 
where mills have had a large and permanent force of men to feed, the 
mill owners have turned their cut-over lands into pasture for the rais- 
ing of cattle. 

The chance for the reproduction of the tree has been small. On 
the famis the stumps are either grubbed out or shorn of their suckers 
every year; on pasture lands, burning and the cattle have prevented 
reproduction; and those lands not used after lumbering have also been 
subjected to fire. As year by 3' ear the Redwood forests have dwindled, 
it has come to be pretty generally believed that the tree is doom(?d to 
extinction. 

The popular idea that the Redwood has no chance of survival is not 
well founded; the possibilities of second growth are much better than 
they appear. While most of the lumbered areas have been kept bare 
b}" lack of protection, there are tracts where accidentally favorable 
conditions have allowed the sprouts to develop, and here the real 
vigor of the Redwood second growth is apparent. 

VALUABLE SECOND GROWTH. 

On the northernmost slashings near Crescent Cit}', which is perhaps 
the most isolated of all the lumber regions on the coast, there is one 
small tract among acres of unpromising brush and stumps where the 
growth of sprouts has been unimpeded, and there a stand exists which 
averages 12 to 16 inches on the stump and is 60 to 80 feet in height. 
Only the very best of the virgin timber ma}" be profitabl}' lumbered in 
this place, and the second growth is not cut. A hundred miles south, 
near Humboldt Bay and Eureka, are tracts of young growth only ten 
3'ears older than those at Crescent Citj', which have a market value. 
Men who have found their old claims grown up to sticks 20 inches 
through and a hundred feet long have sold the trees for piling, for 
which they are locall}' considered almost as good as Red Fir. A good 
many mill men in Eureka believe 'that the Redwood sucker will in time 
and under the proper conditions produce valuable timber; but they say 
that the wood of the sprout is too soft and brittle — "'brash}"" they call 
it — not taking into account that it has not been grown in dense stands 
and has not had time to harden. 

This soft timber can be used. In Sonoma County, where the coun- 
try is well settled, Redwood was never so dense as farther north; but 
there has been a better chance for reproduction and there is a better 
market. Sonoma County second-growth Redwood is cut to as low a 
diameter as 10 inches, and the mills are making money at the business. 
The timber is sappy, but it makes good box boards and good lumber. 



A STUDY OK THE KKDWOOD. 



21 



This (contrast between the inditferenee with which .sccund-o-rowth lied- 
wood of larye size is regarded in Crescent City and tiie r(!adiness 
witli which much smaller stuff is used in Sonoma County, whci-c there 
is a market for it, is signiticant. It is one of the signs which go to show 
that second growth has a future, and that better times for the Redwood 
are near at hand. 

A BETTER MARKET NECESSARY. 

The important matter is that the market should improve; and the 
market is improving. The northern country is opening up; railroads 
are entering where the large trees grow, and buyers are learning more 
about the good qualities of the Redwood lumber. All this makes it 
the more worth while to the lumberman to plan for a second crop on 
his Redwood lands. 

A STUDY OF SECOND-GROWTH REDWOOD. 

To learn the rate of growth of second-growth Redwood a study was 
made of some of the largest of such stands. The investigation began 
with the timber near Crescent Cit}'. In that place logging operations 
have so far been confined to the coastal plains between the sea and Smith 
River, a plain once forested with a heavy growth of Redwood, Spruce, 
and Hemlock. 

THE TRACT AT CRESCENT CITY. 

The second growth studied near Ci'escent City was on the crest of a 
small rise, just above sea level, where the original stand of timber was 
cut off in 1S73-187.5. The trees covered 6 acres; the}' had suffered no 
burning since the first crop was logged, and there had Ijeen no other 
interference with the reproduction. The age of the stand was 25 to 
30 years. 

TRACTS AT EUREKA AND ARCATA. 

Two small tracts were studied near Eureka and Areata. They were 
on good soil, 200 to 300 feet above sea level, on rolling ground. At 
Eureka 20 per cent of the forest was Red Fir; ;it Areata 1.5 per cent 
was Red Fir and White Fir. The Eureka stand was 3.5 years okl; that 
at Areata, 40 to 4.5 3'ears. 

THE redwood's FIGHT FOR THE (iROUND. 

The stands at Crescent City, Eureka, and Areata represent the best 
conditions for the growth of suckers. When the old Redwood is cut 
the stumps sprout abundant!}'; a few Spruces and Hemlocks seed up 
the gaps; and these three species, with thQ help of small shrubs, soon 
form a dense thicket. In a few years the Spruce and Redwood and 
other fast-growing trees, like Alder, begin to overtop and shade out 
the brush and small plants; the dead vegetation deposits a leaf muck, 



22 



THE RKDWOOD. 



or liumus, which enriches the soil, keeps it moist, and makes growth 
more rapid. As the crowns grow up, in the struggle for light and 
room most of the weak or intolerant trees die off. The Hemlocks 
survive and parti}' keep up, because tiwj can stand a good deal of 
shade, but the Willows and Alders become restricted to the openings. 
It happens, therefore, that wherever the suckering has been thick 
enough at first. Redwood finally dominates all the other species and 
occupies most of the ground. 

THE TRACT AT TRINIDAD. 

A fourth tract, which showed more typical conditions and the kind 
of situation characteristic of most of the Redwood belt, was found at 
Trinidad. The topograph}' there is a broad coastal terrace, rising 
gently from the sea cliff's and cut b}" the canyons of several small 
streams. About 2 miles inland the terrace rises to an altitude of 500 
feet, and the soil becomes coarse and poor. The tract of second- 
growth Redwood stands on a plateau-like divide between the two 
gulches. The age of the stand is 26 years. 

THE VALUATION SURVEYS. 

Valuation surveys were run at Crescent City, Areata, and Trinidad. 
The results are given in the following table: 



Table 3. — Vahfation survey of second-growth Redwood. 



Locality and species. 


Trees 2 Inches and 
over in diameter, 
breast high. 


Trees 2 to 13 inches 
in diameter, 
breasthigh. 


Trees 14 inches and over in 
diameter, breasthigh. 


Average 
number 
of trees 

per acre. 


Percent- 
age ot 
each 

species. 


Average 
number 
of trees 
per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
number 
of trees 
per acre. 


Percent- 
age of 
each 
species. 


Average 
diameter 
breast- 
high. 


ARC AT A. 

Redwood 

White Fir 

Spruce 

Red Fir : 

Total 


192. 10 
34, 10 
11 

3 30 


80 
14 
5 
1 


162. 70 
30.30 
10. 20 
2,30 


79 

15 
5 
1 


29.40 

3. 80 
.80 

1 


84 
11 

o 
3 


Inches. 
17 
15 
14 
17 


240. 50 


100 


205, .=)0 


100 


35 


100 




CRESCENT CITV. 

Redwood 

Spruce 

Hemlocli 

Total 




234. 33 
104,33 
86 


55 
25 
20 


204 
99. 66 
80.67 


53 
26 
21 


30. 33 
4.67 
5. S3 


75 
12 
13 


16 
17 
17 


424. 66 


100 


384.33 


100 


40. 33 


100 




TRIXIDAD 

Redwood 

Red Fir 

Hemlocli 




401.6 
134.4 
62 
7.6 
5.6 


66 
22 
10 
1 
1 


399. 20 
120. 40 


75 
23 


2.40 
14 


12 
70 


14 

15 


Spruce 

Pine 

Total 


7.20 
2.40 


1 
1 


.40 
3.20 


2 
16 


14 
15 


611.2 


100 


529. 20 


100 


20 


100 









A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 



23 



HOW THE TABLES WERE MAT)E. 

In the tables which follow, trees 14 inches and over in diameter are 
assumed to be merchantable. This is done because a 14-inch tree is 
the smallest that will contain a log which is salable by the Spaulding 
Rule, and because it is the smallest ti'ee used by the mills. 

The volume tables are based on stem analyses, obtained b\^ measur- 
ing 450 trees at Crescent City, .50 at Eureka, and .50 at Areata. 

To find the volume per tree in board measure, all the trees analyzed, 
beginning with those that contained a log 12 feet long and 10 inches in 
diameter at the small end inside the bark, were scaled, and the results 
for each diameter plotted in a curve. The table of merchantable volume 
given here was derived from the curve. It gives the average volume 
in board feet and the height of each tree for diameters from 14 to 27 
inches, inclusive. 



Table 4. — Merchantable volume of Redwood timber. 



Diameter 
breast- 
liigh. 


Merchant- 
able 
volume. 


Total 
height. 


Diameter 
breast- 
high. 


Merchant- 
able 
volume. 


Total 
height. 


Inches. 


Board feet. 


Feet. 


Inches. 


Board Jeet. 


Fcrt. 


14 


52 


69 


21 


186 


88 


15 


C2 


72 


22 


188 


91 


16 


74 


75 


23 


226 


93 


17 


90 


78 


24 


267 


95 


18 


108 


81 


25 


316 


97 


19 


130 


83 


26 


430 


99 


20 


156 


86 


27 


496 


101 



The yield per acre of merchantable timber at Crescent City and 
Areata is given in the following table (No. 5). The figures were 
found by multiplying the number of trees per acre in each diameter 
class, as found in the valuation surve}^ tables, by the figure correspond- 
ing to that diameter class in the table of merchantable volume. Only 
Crescent City, Eureka, and Areata showed trees large enough to be 
scaled on the standard chosen. At Eureka the culling of the forest 
for piling had left nothing on which to base an estimate of yield per 
acre. 



24 THE REDWOOD. 



Table 5.' — Merchaiitahle yield of Rcdvood per acre. 





Crescent City. 


Areata. 


Diameter 
breast- 


Average 




Average 






number of 


Merchant- 


number of 


Merchfint- 


high. 


trees per 


able yield. 


trees per 


able yield. 




acre. 




acre. 




Inches. 




Board feet. 




Board feet. 


14 


17.7 


920. 4 


13.5 


702.0 


16 


6.0 


444.0 


7.0 


518.0 


18 


2.7 


291.6 


4.4 


475. 2 


20 


1.5 


234.0 


2.0 


312.0 




1.0 


188.0 


1.1 


206.8 


24 


1.0 


267.0 


. 5 


133.5 


26 


.3 


129.0 


0 


86.0 


Total 




2, 474. 0 




2, 433. 5 










Table 6 .shows the number of pile feet in trees of diameters from 18 
to 28 inches, inclusive. It was obtained from stem analyses taken at 
Crescent City, Areata, and Eureka. Assuming that nothing which 
will not furnish a log 30 feet long and 10 inches in diameter at the 
small end is available for piling, the smallest tree to contain a pile was 
found to be 18 inches in diameter breasthigh. The table follows: 



Table 6. — Pile length of Redwood. 



Diameter 
breast- 
high. 


Pile 
length. 


Diameter 
breast- 
high. 


Pile 
length. 


Inches. 


Fed. 


Inches. 


Feet. 


18 


30.5 


24 


49.0 


19- 


33. 5 


25 


.52.0 


20 


37.0 


26 


.54.5 


21 


40.0 


27 


57.5 


22 


43.0 


28 


60.0 


23 


46.0 







Diagrams 1 and 2 show the relations between age and height, and 
between age and diameter, of the Redwood examined at Crescent City, 
Eureka, and Trinidad. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S, Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate IX. 




Fig. 2.— Second-growth Redwood at Mendocino, 40 to 45 Years Old. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 



Plate X. 




Fig. 2. — Pockets of Diseased Wood in Various Stages. 

Sections of Redwood Logs, Showing Brown Rot. 



Bui. 38, Bureau of Forestry, U, S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate XI. 




Tangential Section of Redwood Log Affected with Brown Rot. 



Bui, 38, Bureau of Forestry, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



Plate XII. 




a 



Work of the Redwood Bark-beetle. 

a, Surface of wood groo^'ed \iy primary galleries and larval mines; 6, bark \\'ith galleries and 
mines through inner layer; c, primary or egg gallery (original). 



A STUDY OF THE KEDWUOD. 



25 



DIAGRAM N^l. 




0 5 JO 15 30 25 30 J5 40 45 

A GE— YEARS. 



26 



THE REDWOOD. 



DIAGRAM NS2. 




0 S' 10 J5 SO 25 JO J5 40 45 



AGE— YEARS. 



A STUDY OF THE REDWOOD. 



27 



Table 7 shows the relation between sapwood and heartwood for 
diameters of from 4 to 23 inches, indusive. The amount of sapwood 
varies both with the diameter and the age. This tal)h; was constfucted 
from measurements of trees taken at Crescent City, Eureka, and 
Areata, which were used in the volume table, and of 4(10 trees at Trin- 
idad too small to be used in the volume table. 



Table 7. — Width of sap-wood and diameter of heartwood. 



Diameter 
)_)reust 
high. 



Eureka. 



Width 
of 

sapwood. 



Diameter 
of 
heart- 
wood. 



Width 
of 

sapwood. 



Diameter 
of 
heart- 
wood. 



Cre.sfent City. 



Width 
of 

sapwood 



Diameter 
of 
heart- 
wood 



Trinidad. 



Width 

of 

sapwood. 



Diameter 
of 
heart 
wood 



Inches. 
4 
5 
6 
7 



10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 



Inches. 
1.70 
1.90 
2.05 
2.10 
2.20 
2.25 
2.30 
2.35 
2.40 
2.40 
2.45 
2.50 
2. .55 
2.60 
2.65 
2.70 
2.80 
2. 90 
3. 00 



Inches. 
0.6 
1.2 
1.9 
2.8 
3.6 
4.5 
5.4 

7.2 
8.5 
9.1 
10.0 
10.9 
11.8 
12.7 
13.6 
14.4 
15.3 
16.0 



Inches. 
1..50 
1.60 
1.70 
1.80 
1.90 
1.90 
1.95 
2.00 
2.05 
2. 10 
2.10 
2. 10 
2. 15 
2. 15 
2.20 
2. 20 
2.20 



Inches. 
1.0 
1.8 
2.6 
3.4 
4.2 
6.2 
(i. 1 
7.0 
7.9 
8.8 
9.8 
10.8 
11.7 
12.7 
13. S 
14.6 
1-5.0 



Inches. 
1.65 
1.70 
1.80 
1.90 
2.00 
2. 10 
2. 15 
2,25 
2.30 
2. 40 
2. 45 
2. .50 
2. 60 
2. 65 
2.70 
2. 80 
2. 85 



Inches. 
0.7 
1.6 
2.4 
3.2 
4.0 
4.8 
5.7 
6.5 
7.4 
8.2 
9.1 
10.0 
10.8 
11.7, 
12.6 
13.4 
14.3 



Inches. 
1.55 
1.70 
1.75 
1.80 
1.85 
1.90 
1.95 
2.00 
2.05 



Inches. 
0.9 
1.6 
2.5 
3.4 
4.3 
5.2 
6.1 
7.0 
7.9 



WHERE THE TABLES APPLY. 

The tables given in this bulletin furnish the most accurate knowl- 
edge of the Kedwood's growth now available. The Crescent City, 
Eureka, and Areata figures are applicable to Redwood flats, where the 
ground is low and moist. The Trinidad tables ma}^ be applied to all 
that great body of Redwood of the slope type which occupies high 
lands and steep slopes. 

CONCLUSIONS. 



THE SIMPLEST MANAGEMENT THE BEST. 

The narrow profits of Redwood lumbering prevent any but the 
simplest systems of forest management. Excellent results can, how- 
ever, be accomplished by inexpensive methods. 

WHAT ONE COMPANY HAS DONE. 

An interesting case of conservative Redwood management is found 
in Mendocino County, where the Mendocino Lumber Company has 



28 



THE KEDWOOD. 



consistently log-o-ed with an eye to the future value of its holdings. 
The forest is the usual ridge-timber type of Redwood, Red Fir, and 
Tanbark Oak, varied with occasional bottom-land stands of pure 
Redwood; and the practice has been to cut no trees under 20 inches 
in diameter (PI. Vlll). The trees left standing have in a few years so 
restocked the ground with Redwood suckers and Fir seedlings that at a 
distance the hillsides look well wooded. In most places the stand is 
thick enougli to insure clear trunks and render the danger from lire 
much less than it would have been under the usual system of laying 
bare the land. 

The result has been in every way worth the effort. It cost next to 
nothing to make the experiment, for the trees left standing had no 
market value. 

Instead of bare ridges washed hy rain and run over by tires, there 
is now a young forest, which keeps the soil moist and ffrm and feeds 
the water into the streams so gradually as to cause an even flow. The 
land is becoming more and more valuable as the forest grows. 

These advantages were gained at the trifling expense of using care 
to save the small trees in logging. On some areas, where the old stand 
was heav^y, there is 3'oung Redwood only 45 years old that is 20 to 30 
inches on the stump and nearly 100 feet high (PI. IX, tig. 2). This 
timber is already mai'ketable as piles. The whole area of the Mendo- 
cino Lumber Company will again bear timber and regain much of its 
former value. 

The Mendocino Lumber Company's management of its Redwood is 
worthy of careful attention. The example it has set is especiall}" to 
the point, because it shows a practical and cheap method of dealing 
with a dilBcult problem. At little expense and trouble the conipan)- 
has assured itself of future crops of timber, and has thereby con- 
siderably increased the selling price of its cut-over lands. The con- 
ditions under which these results were brought about were not 
exceptional, but average; the}' prevail throughout a greater part of 
the Redwood l)elt. 

Something more than what the Mendocino Compan}' has done may 
be necessary in some cases. For example, something might be spent 
in protecting the cut-over lands from tire until the young growth can 
protect itself. But whatever is done must be done with a sharp eye 
to the cost. 



THE BROWN ROT DISEASE OF THE REDWOOD. 



By Hermann von Bchrenk, 
Biireitn of Plavi liiditsirif. 

The Redwood is one of a group of trees of uncient lineage, all of 
wh ich are singularly free from fungus diseases. A n umber of parasitic 
fungi, such as Leptostroma sequoice Cook & Harness., and Stricta 
color Fr., attack the living leaves and branches; but they occur so 
rarely, and then only in such small numbers, that they are practically 
insignificant. Dr. Farlow states that "more than thirty species ha-s'e 
been recorded on Sequoia sempervirevs,'''' none of which is known to 
cause serious disease. In Europe, where the Redwood has been grown 
for many years as an ornamental tree, a species of Botrytis frequently 
attacks the young branches. 

Redwood timber possesses lasting qualities scarceh' equaled b\- any 
other wood. Although A^ery light and porous, it has antiseptic prop- 
erties which prevent the growth of deca3'-]3roducing fungi. So far 
as is now known, none of the ordinarv wood-rotting fungi grow in 
Redwood timber. This is an exceedingh' valua])le property. Avhich 
should extend the use of the wood for all kinds of construction 
purposes. 

It is because of its resistance to most forms of decay that the Red- 
wood reaches such a great age. A remarkable fact to be noted is that 
the innermost rings of most of the trees are as sound now as when first 
formed. 

Onlv one disease of the trunk is now known, commonlv called butt, 
brown, or pin rot. The wood at the base of the trunk of diseased 
trees is filled with many pockets of dark brown, almost black, wood, 
irregular in form, though usually twice as broad as they are long, and 
ranging in size from mere specks to masses several inches in diameter 
(PI. XI). Thej" may join at the ends very much as they do at the 
sides. At first the individual masses of diseased wood are separated 
from one another by lamella? of sound wood, and the line of division 
is sharply defined (PI. X, fig. '•2). In later stages of the disease the 
di\ iding lamelhe are changed into brown wood, thereby causing two 
or more masses to unite (PI. X. figs. 1 and 2). The bases of the older 
trunks afi'ected by this disease may be masses of Iji-own decayed wood. 



30 



THE REDWOOD. 



The brown wood is veiy brittle and has all the propei'ties of char- 
coal. Under a little pressure it will crumble into a fine powder. As 
the wood deca3^s, it shrinks considerabl}'. This reduction in volume 
causes large cracks to appear in the brown wood, and in some 
instances the diseased wood separates entirely from the sounder wood 
and lies loose in the pocket. 

The deca}^ starts in the inner rings of the heartwood and extends 
outward gradually- until all the heartwood is pitted (PI. X, figs. 1 
and 2). Several instances have been found where small pockets had 
formed in the sapwood. The brown rot starts at the ground and 
extends from the roots upward into the trunk for distances varying 
from 3 to 50 feet, and in some cases probably higher. As a rule, 
though, it does not go farther than 10 to 15 feet in the butt, so that 
by cutting off a butt log of about that length sound wood can gener- 
ally be reached. The brown rot is found in older trees only, so far as 
observed by the writer, and seems to develop very slowl3^ 

At present no one fungus can be determined to be the cause of this 
disease. Under the best conditions it is a matter of great difficulty to 
ascertain the cause of a disease which affects the roots and butts of 
trees; but in the case of the Redwood the immense size of the tree 
and its thick bark and formidable buttresses render an accurate 
determination of the disease which affects it impossible without long 
study. There are many saprophytic fungi which grow on the dead 
bark and in and aliout the roots of the Redwoods, but in the present 
incomplete state of our knowledge it would be hazardous to connect 
any one of them with this disease. 

Reference may be made to the close resemblance of the brown rot 
to the pin rot of L'thocedrus decurrens. The diseased wood of the 
Incense Cedar is filled with brown pockets which closely resemble 
those of the Redwood. These pockets occur in the tops of the trees, 
however. The fungus causing this disease is Polyjxjrus libocedris^'^ 
so far found only on Libocedi'us. It may be that it causes the rot of 
the Redwood. The fact that the Redwood disease occurs in the base 
of the trees ought to furnish no objection to such an assumption, since 
there are other cases where the same fungus attacks one tree in the 
crown and another nearer the ground — Trametes pivl^ for instance, 
which causes the disease of most of the pines in the tops of the trees, 
attacks Pln as monticola very close to the ground. 

The brown rot has so far been reported as rather prevalent in north- 
ern California. Near Fort Bragg and Crescent City the writer found 
it in a good many old trees. It probably occurs throughout the Red 
wood belt. 

Brown rot is not so serious as to cause alarm; it does practically lit- 

"von Schrenk, H. A disease of Taxodium known as Peckiness; also a similar 
eaae of Lihorednis dcciirirnK. Rep. Mo. Bot. (Janlen, 1 1:2, 3, 1900. 



THE BROWN ROT DISliASE OF THK RKDWOOJ). 



81 



tie harm. The disease may possibly develop in timlxT that was partly 
decayed when cut from the tree, although in several cases observed 
such timber was used for posts or ties and did not deteriorate further. 
Where strength is not the first requirement, wood in the early stages 
of decay may be classed in a low grade for posts or ties. , 

Measures for preventing decay in Redwood are impracticable. 

DECAY IN REDWOOD POLES. 

As this bulletin goes to press the writer is in receipt of samples of 
decayed Redwood taken from telegraph poles in California that were 
set in 1877. They were 12 inches square at the butt and were set 5 
feet into the ground. About half of them showed signs of decay this 
year; half of this number had decayed from the outside in, while the 
other half showed rot within the poles. Many poles that were broken 
ofl' by a windstorm had been decayed to a depth of several inches. 

The decay very closely resembles the red rot. The diseased wood 
is red-brown, brittle, and porous. In cases where the decay started 
on the outside, the spring wood cells were attacked first, leaving the 
sunmier cells practically intact. In the deca3'ed wood many colorless 
hyphfe traverse the walls, and here and there are found groups of 
colored spores. No fruiting organs of any fungus occurred on the 
samples sent. 

PREVENTION. 

The decay of poles of the Redwood can probabl}^ be retarded consid- 
erably by thoroughly drying the poles before setting them. Careful 
inspection will often show, at the butt end, signs of the brown rot 
disease of the living tree. Poles from such trees should not be used. 
Dry poles can be coated with some preservative substance, which will 
probablj^ retard decay considerably. Tests are now under way with 
the Redwood to determine the best method for preventing this rot. 

EXPLANATION OF PLATES. 

Plate X. Cross sections of Redwood logs (Fort Bragg, Cal. ), showing brow-n-rot 
disease. Fig. 1 shows distribution of pockets. Since the log lies partly 
in a stream, only a part of the section is exposed. Fig. 2 shows a small 
part of a section with pockets in various stages. 

Plate XI. Tangential section of Redwood log, showing the decayeil wood in long 
pockets. 



INSECT ENEMIES OF THE REDWOOD. 



By -A. D. Hopkins, 

III Charge of Fared Insect Investigations, Division of Entomologii. 

In ISSl Mr. Henry Edwards described a pitch worm as very destruc- 
tive to Sequoia sempervirens/' In 1899 the writer found two species 
of bark beetles living in the bark of recently felled trees.* In 1900 
the Division of Entomology obtained information from Mr. J. E, 
Norton, through a lumber firm in San Francisco, indicating that Red- 
wood lumber was immune from attack by termites, or white ants;'' 
and this was verified by experiments conducted in the Philippine 
Islands by Mr. D. N. McChesney, as reported hy Capt. George P. 
Ahern, Chief of the Philippine Forestiy Bureau.'^ 

This embraces about all that has been published relating to Redwood 
insects. 

These insects and their work may be described in more detail as 
follows, the small type indicating information from other authors 
and ordinary type that based on the writer's observ^ations, whether 
previously published or not : 

THE SEQUOIA -ffiGERINIAN, OR REDWOOD PITCH WORM. 

( Vespaniinid sequoia: Hy. Edw.) 

This relative of the common peach-tree borer is described b}' 
Henry Edwards'' and othei' writers^ as very destructive to Redwood. 
Mr. Beutemiiller says : 

According to Hy. Edwards this species is devastating the i^ine forests in Mendocino 
County, California, and is particularly destructive to the Big Tree {Sequoia seynper- 
virens), Pinus p)onderosus, and Piims himhertiano. The eggs are laid in the axils of 
the branches, the young caterpillar boring in a tortuous manner about its retreat, 
thus diverting the flow of sap and causing large resinous nodules to form at the 
place of its workings. These nodules gradually harden, the branch then dies, and 
the tree at last succumbs to its insignificant enemies. Hundreds of fine trees in the 
forests of the region are to be seen in various stages of decay. The moths make 
their appearance in June and July, during which period the eggs are deposited. The 

«Papilio, vol. i (1881), p. 181; also Bui. U. S. Ent. Comm. No. 7, Appendix. 

?>Bul. .31, N. S., Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 7, 19, 20. 

fBul. .30, N. S., pp. 95, 96. 

<1A.H quoted in Bui. 33, Bur. Forestry, p. 20. 

<' Beutemiiller, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. i, part vii, pp. 263,264. 



INSECT ENEMIES OK THE REDWOOD. 



33 



larv.ie begin to form their l'ocooiis in December and January, Ijeing an evidence that 
the insect is double brooded. The larvte when fully grown line the channel in the 
resinous nodules with silk, forming a sort of cocoon, in which they transform to 
pupte. 

This insect was observed by the writer in September, 19(t2, in the 
vicinity of Del Monte, Cal., where it occurred in the matured larval 
stage in large masses of pitch on the trunks of living Monterey Pine. 
According to information from Mr. Lee, the gardener in charge of 
the Del Monte grounds, it does considerable damage to the tree. 

The work of probably the same insect was also observed in the same 
grounds on Lawson's Cypress, causing deformities on the main trunk 
and branches. 

REMEDY. 

In comparativelj^ small areas it would not be difficult to dig the 
worms out of the pitch with a knife during the fall and winter months. 
This would serve to greatly reduce their numbers and to prevent seri- 
ous depredations in future. In the case of larger areas of forest trees 
there is, so far as known, no practical remedy. 

CEDAR BARK-BEETLES. 

There is a certain class or genus of bark-boring beetles which, so 
far as has been determined in difierent countries, inhabits only the 
cedar and cedar-like trees. Owing to this habit they may properly be 
termed cedar bark beetles. They belong to the order Coleoptera, 
family Scol3^tidai, and genus Phlojosinus. Two species of this genus 
were found b}' the writer in living and partly living bark of recently 
felled Kedwoods near Guerneville, Cal., in April, 1899. 

The Redwood Bark-Beetle. 

{Phla'oshiiAs .■<equohv Hopk. MSS. ) 

This is a common species, which heretofore has been confused with 
a much less common one described by Dr. Le Conte under the name 
cristatus. It is a medium-sized, stout, Ijlack beetle (tig. 1), the male 
and female of which bore through the outer bark and exca-\-ate long, 
nearlv straight burrows or galleries through the inner living or dying 
bark and surface of the wood, as sliown in the illustration, Plate 
XII. The eggs are closely placed along each side of the gallerv in 
little notches excavated for the purpose. These soon hatch into minute 
white grubs, which immediately commence to feed upon the inner 
layers of bark and outer layers of wood. They continue to feed thus, 
extending meanwhile their food burrows, and increase in size until 
they attain their full growth as grul^s (larvae). Then they enter the 
wood for a short distance and excavate a cavity or kind of cell, in 
which they change to the inactive or pupal stage. Here the}' remain 
12i78— No. 3S— 03 3 



34 



THE EEDWOOD. 



until their legs and wings are full}' developed, when, as full}' matured 
adults, they bore their way. out through the wood and bark, producing 
the shot-hole condition, as shown in the illustration. 

It is known that the xvedwood bark-beetle tiies early in April and 
attacks the living bark of recently-felled trees, but as. yet we have no 
positive evidence that it attacks standing living trees. The fact, how- 
ever, that a near relative, the Lawson\s Cypress bark-beetle, will 
attack and kill trees, indicates that under specialty favorable conditions 
this species may do likewise. Therefore any 
unhealthy condition of the 3"oung or old trees 
in which the leaves toward the top turn yellow 
and reddish brown should be examined for 
traces of the beetle's work in the bark and at 
the base of living twigs. 

EEMEDT. 



If it should be found that this beetle is at- 
tacking living trees, its known habit of infest- 
ing recentty-felled trees suggests that it might 
Jig. 1.— The Redwood bark easily be controlled b}' Cutting and barking all 
beetle: aduu-eniarged(orig- infested trees between the 1st of September 
and the 1st of Decenaber, and by providing a few 
trap trees to attract those beetles that escape. This maj^ be accom- 
plished b}" felling a few trees in December: Then after the adults 
have entered the bark in the spring and the larvte (grubs) are about 
half -grown, or before thej enter the surface of the wood, if the bark 
is stripped from all the infested parts of the trunk and larger branches, 
the broods will be destroyed. It will not be necessary to burn the 
bark thus removed, because the drying of the inner surface will kill 
the- young stages, while some of the natural enemies of the beetle 
which wou-ld otherwise be destroj^ed b}^ burning might survive to be 
of service in reducing the numbers of those which are not attracted to 
the trap trees or which breed in the standing timber. The tops and 
smaller branches, which can not conveniently l)e barked, should be 
burned, but they should first be left until the broods are nearly devel- 
oped, in order that the parasites and other natural enemies maj^ has'e 
time to develop and emerge to continue their good work. It would 
be best if this material were burned just before the beetles begin to 
emerge. 

The life history" of the Redwood bark-beetle has not been worked out, 
but the insect is probabl}' double-brooded, the first brood emerging 
about the middle of summer and the other the following spring. If 
this is true, it is of the greatest importance to protect, so far as pos- 
sible, the natural enemies of the first brood, in order that they may 
continue their depredations on. the second brood. 




INSECT ENEMIES OP THE REDWOOD. 



35 



Evidence was found at Guerneville, in tlae vacant uullci-ics 
in baric that had been infested the previous summer, that many of the 
broods had been destroyed by minute wasp-like parasites and preda- 
ceous enemies. It is probable that the natural enemies of othei- species 
of the same genus will attack it, especially those of the Lawson's 
Cypress bark -beetle. 

Lawson's Cypress Bark-Beetle. 

(Phlceosinus mprem Hopk. MSS. ) 

This is the other species found hy the writer in Redwood at Guerne- 
ville, Cal. It was also found, about the same time, in a recently dead 
Monterey Cypress in Golden Gate Park, and in a small, dying Japanese 
Cypress" in the University grounds at Berkeley. 

The general character of this beetle (tig. 2) and of its work is similar 
to that of the preceding beetle, 
except that it is a smaller, less 
shining insect, and that the larvae 
do not enter the surface of the 
wood to change to the adult, but 
undergo their transformation in 
their burrows in the inner bark. 

The adult's habit of attacking 
and killing trees and of feeding 

on the bark of living twigs is a r.^. 2.-The Lawson's cypres, bark-beetle: adults, 
characteristic which has not been male and female (original). 

observed in any other species of 

the genus. Recently an article relating to this insect was published 
by Mr. Carroll Fowler,* under the above common name and the tech- 
nical name PJdceoslmis jjimctattis Lec.'^ Mr. Fowler's account of this 
beetle and its destructive work is as follows: 

During the past year our attention has been repeatedly brought to the sickly con- 
dition of many of our Lawson's Cypress trees. This is one of our common and most 
handsome ornamental trees, and therefore the way in which they are dying is a 
matter of no small concern to many parties. 

The first indication one has that the tree is diseased is in the unhealthy appearance 
of the ujDper leaves. These turn brown and die, and gradually those below take on 
a similar appeai'ance, until they are all killed. If the trunk and branches are exam- 
ined, it will be noticed that they are thickly punctured with small holes. Then if 
some of the bark is cut, it will be found to be dead in many places, especially near 
the top of the tree, not infreciuently extending entirely across the branch. There 
will also be noticed small burrows just under the surface, and if it is in the winter 
there may usually be found at one end of each burrow a small white grub or dark- 

« Identified by Professor Davy as Cryptomeria. 

ftRept. Univ. of Cal. Agric. Exp. Sta., 1898-1901, Parti, pp. 80,81. 

cThe writer has examined the specimens on which this identification was based, 
and finds that it is quite different from P. puiKiatnx, a common enemy of the ( Jiant 
and other Western cedars. 




36 



THE REDWOOD. 



brown beetle. Tliis beetle is one of the engraver beetles, so called on account of the 
appearance of the system of burrows. The central tunnel is made in the sapwood 
by the mother beetle, which deposits eggs at frequent intervals. The larvae hatch- 
ing from these eggs bore off at right angles. When the beetles are numerous the 
trees are frequently encircled, so that the food supply is cut off. The attack is 
usually begun at the top of the tree, and extends downward from year to year. 

This family of beetles generally attacks trees that are not in a very liealthy condi- 
tion, although when they become very numerous they take to healthy trees. Such 
has proven to be the case with the Lawson Cypress beetle. Those trees which have 
suffered most severely from drought lately have been most severely injured by the 
pest, while those in the same locality which have been kept thrifty are in many 
instances almost free. 

After these borers have once gotten into a tree there is no way in which they can 
be killed without injury to the tree. Where the attack is severe the trees should be 
cut down and burned during the winter while the insects are in their burrows. They 
begin to eat their way out as early as March, although some appear much later; hence 
the destruction should be done earlier than this. Trees only slightly affected need 
not be destroyed, since by fertilization with Chile saltpeter and frequent watering 
they ma}- be gotten into such a healthy condition as to Avithstand, and in a measure 
resist, attack. Professor Hilgard has by this means saved some of his trees, which 
were beginning to show marked signs of injury. Prompt measures shoulil be taken 
against the insect, not only to save the trees attacked, but also to prevent the num- 
bers from becoming so great as to cause them to spread to healthj' trees. 

Dr. Hilgard informs the writer that his experiments with Chile salt- 
peter were ver3' successful indeed, and that he believes little harm 
would result from the attack of this insect if the trees were kept in a 
health}', vigorous condition. 

Early in September of this year the writer had an opportunit}^ to 
make some additional observations on the habits of this beetle at Del 
Monte and in the famous Monterey Cypress grove at Cypress Point, 
Cal. These observations indicate quite clearlj^ that the Monterey 
Cypress is the original food plant, and that the common use of this tree 
for hedges and ornament in private grounds and parks throughout 
western California has ena})led the beetle to extend its range from its 
original restricted home, and thus to acc^uire the habit of attacking 
other species of Cypress and the Redwood. This change of habit and 
extended range of distribution, as has been demonstrated by many of 
our worst insect pests which have come from other countries and other 
sections of our own country, involves variation in normal habit, and 
even in structure, which renders a species that is comparatively harm- 
less in its original home most destructive under the influence of new 
environments. 

An examination of the Cypress grove showed no sign that this 
beetle had attacked standing trees, although it was found to be 
exceedingly common in the liark of broken branches and storm-felled 
trees. The natural enemies of the liroods occurred in great num])ers, 
and up to the date of writing the number of adult parasites which 
have emerged from sections of branches placed in breeding jars has 
been exceedingly large. 



- INSECT ENEMIES OF THE KEDWOOD. 



37 



An examination of Lawwoii'is C3'pres«, which had Ix'cn transphuitcd 
in the park at Del Monte, showed that the Lawson's Cvpress bark- 
beetle has the common habit of boring- into the liA'ing bark at the base 
of perfectl}' health}" twigs (fig. 3, a). It was also found that tliis 
injuiy would often result in the death of the lateral and defonuit}' of 
the central twigs (fig. 3, Z-), while in man}" cases the wound would I)e 
covered with gum (lig. 3, c) and heal without any serious harm. This 
is conclusive evidence that the Ijeetle attacks healthy plant tissue of 
the Lawson's Cypress. This was further verified bv specimens of 




Fig. 3. — Work of the Lawson's Cypress bark-beetle in twigs of living trees: a, burrows at base of twig; 
b,b, wounrls covered with gum; c, deformed twig; d, wound where twig has died and fallen 
(original). 



wood from a Lawson's Cypress said to have been killed by the beetle, 
which were kindl}^ submitted to the writer b}" Professor Woodworth, 
entomologist of the California experimental station at Berkeley. An 
examination of this specimen showed in the healed-over wounds made 
by the beetles that at least tw^o successive annual attacks on the living 
bark had been made before the tree died. Nevertheless, the annual 
rings of wood showed nearly a normal growth and indicated an other- 
wise healthjr condition up to the jenv in which the tree died. It would 
therefore appear that while the insect breeds normallv only in the 
felled or otherwise injured trees, it is capable of attacking healthy 



88 



THE REDWOOD. 



trees and of causing the death of transplanted Monterej^ Lawson's, 
and other species of Cj^press. The fact that it has been found in 
Redwood renders it an enemy of especial interest in this connection, 
aiid one Avhich should be carefully watched. 

Recent observations hy the writer near Mill Valley, California, and 
along- the railroad leading up the western slope of Tamalpais, of an 
anhealthy condition of the tops of second-growth Redwood, suggest 
that this heretofore unnoticed trouble may be due to the work of the 
Lawson's C^ypress, or the Redwood, bark-beetle. It is reported that 
much of the Lawson's Cypress in the countr}'' mentioned has recently 
died. If this has been caused by the Lawson's Cypress bark-beetle, 
as it probably has, the same insect may be to blame for the diseased 
condition of the Redwood. 

REMEDY. 

The maintenance of a healthj^, vigorous growth by the application 
of Chile saltpeter or other fertilizers which may hereafter be found 
especiall}' useful for this purpose, in addition to irrigation during 
severe drought, as suggested by Dr. Hilgard, is undoubtedly a most 
excellent provision against attack, and wherever pi-acticable should be 
adopted. Otherwise, where forests of Redwood or other trees are 
infested or threatened by an invasion of this enemy, the recommenda- 
tions for cutting and barking infested trees and for providing trap 
trees for the control of the Redwood bark-beetle should be adopted. 

PARASITES. 

The parasite reared from Montere}" Cypress bark infested b}' this 
beetle was submitted to Mr. William H. Ashmead, the recognized 
authority on this class of insects, who found that it is a Cecidostiba sp. 
The abundance of this parasite, in what is evidently the normal home 
of the beetle, suggests that this species may very profitably be intro- 
duced into localities where the beetle is carrying on its destructive 
woi'k on the same or other trees. This could easily be accomplished 
if medium -sized branches were cut from trees in the original grove 
during February, left there until thoroughly infested with broods of 
the beetles and their parasites, then, just before time for the parasites 
to emerge, cut into sections about 1 foot long and taken without delay 
to the desired localities and there placed among the tops of the felled 
trees. The parasites would then emerge and readily find their victims. 
Any efforts of this kind, however, should be made by an entomologist, 
or under his supervision. 



INSECT ENEMIES OF THE REDWOOi). 



39 



The Monterey Cypress Bark-Beetle. 

{PMcm.nnuf: cristaius Lec.) 

This is another Cedai- barli-beetle which is closely allied to the pre- 
ceding, and is the true crista tus, with which several other species have 
heretofore been confused. 

In February, 1893, specimens of this insect and its work were sent 
to the Division of Entomology by Mr. J. Dickee, Riverside, Cal., with 
a statement that it was doing great 
damage to Cypress hedges in Contra 
Costa County, Cal. Nothing fur- 
ther is known of its habits, but it is 
possible that it may also attack the 
Redwood. (Fig. 4.) 

The other species of insects found 
by the writer in Guerneville, Cal., 
in Redwood, may be briefly men- 
tioned as follows: 
■■ Phymatodes decussatiis Ijqc. This 
long-horn beetle (Cerambycid) was 

reared from a section of a small dead tree, and the larva of probably 
the same insect was found in the bark of a dying tree. 

Callidiimi janthiniivi Lec. A dead adult of this well-known enemy 
of Cedai- was found en the bark of a log, where it had evidentlv lired. 




Fig. 4. — The Monterey Cypress bark-beetle: 
adults, male and female— enlarged (original). 



IMMUNITY OF REDWOOD FROM ATTACK BY TERMITES OR WHITE 

ANTS. 

Probably the first officially published record of the relation of Red- 
wood to the wood-destroying' termites of tropical regions was that 
which appeared in Bulletin No. 30, new series, Division of Entomol- 
ogy, [J. S. Department of Agriculture (1901), p. 95. This reference 
is quoted as follows: 

December 13, 1900, we received a communication through a lirm of lumber mer- 
chants of San Francisco, Cal., which appears to indicate that the California Red- 
wood lumber is immune to the attack of white ants or termites. Through the firm 
in question we received a letter from Mr. J. E. Norton, dated December 4, relating 
to the resistance of this wood to the so-called Manila white ant of Annia. His letter 
is in substance as follows: 

"In the latter part of 1898 I secured from a transiDort a piece of Redwood lumber 
in a yard at AlanUa. The spot was damp, and various pieces of timber all around 
showed evidence of the existence of the ant in abundance. This piece lay undis- 
turbed for a period of five or six months, and when examined was found as sound as 
when put there, not having been attacked by any insects. The Chinaman, owner 
of the lumber yard, was still doubtful and undertook to get it eaten by putting it in 
different places under different conditions, such as on top of pieces already inhabited, 
between boards, and underneath piles, and finally, after three months, jDut the sam- 
ple on exhibition in his office with the following placard: 'Madera Colorado de 
California, no se comen Annai.' 



40 



THE KEDWOOD. 



" The quartermaster's lumber yard had piled for some four or five months a quan- 
tit}' of Eedwood, which upon my departure in October was still free from ants. 

"John ]MacLeod, of Manila, has a room in one of his houses finished in Redwood, 
constructed over fifteen years ago, and to this day three-fourths of the original 
amount remains still in good condition, one-fourth having been worn out and replaced 
by other lumber. " 

Reference iy made in Bulletin No. 33 of the Bureau of Forestr}^ 
(p. 20) to certain experiments conducted in Manila, P. I., by Mr. 
D. N. McChesney, as reported by Capt. George P.' Ahern, Chief of 
the Philippine Forestry' Bureau, in which it would appear that Red- 
wood, Incense Cedar, and Western Hemlock were not attacked, while 
Douglas Spruce, Bull Pine, and Engelmann Spruce were seriously 
injured. 

The reader is referred to Circular No. 50, second series, Division of 
Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, by C. L. Marlatt, for 
a general description of white ants, their habits and work. 



o 



